Friday, 29 August 2014

Well I managed it at last. I finally got my 1/100th scale Hawker Hunter in production and available.
So I'm just a bit chuffed.
As a mainstay of the RAF during the late 1950- early 60s the Hunter became an iconic machine. Under RAF auspices Hunters served in Aden in a ground attack role.

However it was as an export model that the Hunter served in numerous airforeces worlwide and saw considerable combat scoring Victories against such diverse aircraft as F-86 Sabre MirageIII and A4 Skyhawk. Fighting in the Jordanian, Iraqi Rhodesian and Indian Air forces amongst many others.

These tow pictures show my first Hunter in Rhodesian Air fore colours. No1 Sqn used Hunters throughtout the bush War of the 70s. Usually in the ground attack role though they were also used for "overwatch" missions on externals in case Tanzanian or Mozambique Migs wanted to play- but they never did.

I hope to add more jets to this range all to 1/100th scale - to match the ground troops. Next up should be a Pucara for the Falklands war (not strictly a jet) then hopefully A-4 Mig 17 and F-86 and just maybe a Vampire but we'll see what occours .....

Thursday, 28 August 2014

The 23rd of August dawn bright and clear- and, within an hour its honking it down- must be a Bank Holiday weekend ...
A comparitively huge number of T.W.A.T.S, gather at our regular pub - well huge for us almost double the normal turnout a tatal of 8 fellas turned out for a modern game
All the Usual suspects I-man Tom ,Farmer Dave ,Andrew the Tekkie, Floating Jeff and your gentle Author but not only this stalwart band but 3 more- Steve - who had been with us for the Durham game. Darren- a friend of Tom's and Shaun - new to us but not new to the Hobby.
The scene was set of an exercise in Asymetric Warfare in other words a modern game with a few twists and turns.To get us away from the old samey-gamey stuff , There would be 5 players and 2 Umpires for this one as the set up was a tad unusual to say the least.
As always for our modern 15mm games the basic rules were "Combined Arms " wwith additions from CPQ and a few local amendments to suit some of the more "irregular" elements of the forces engaged. .
Briefings for the 5 players follow.

Colonel Haidar
iffa Khan

3rd Armoured Infantry Bn

Harraqui Defense Force .

Govenor of Akharsi Province.

The Zealots are upon us.! This is a problem as they will
certainly shoot you if they catch you. Not only that they will make Barry
Manilow and Karl Largerfeldt illegal. This is not to be toleratedby a man of style and breeding such as
yourself!!!

Fortunately you
have the help of some British Royal Marines who may be rough trade but are very
competent!

You must hold the town of Akharsibad and if possiblegain the Border crossing to stop IZAL forces
joining the Tribesmen in the Marches – whowill cause trouble if they can . Their Mortars shell the town
periodically .

They seem to be
based around the Old Turkish Forton
the banks of the great Sewah river.

Your troops

Mechanised Infantry Battalion.

Battalion HQ with

I Command Stand

1BMP toc

1 Shilka SPAA

2 infantry Companies each with

1 Command Infantry Stand

1 Weapons Stand

1 Infantry stand

3 BMP2

Attached Tank Company from 6th Tank Battalion

with

3 T-72

You have been told to expect reinforcement in the shape
of the rest of the 6th Tank Battalion Ciommanded by your distant cousin Gurdana
Khanwho as is well known works for the
CIA and wants your job. If he should fall in the coming battle...... but you
take the credit .....

Colonel Gurdana
Khan

OC 6th Tank Battalion

Harraqui Defense Force.

As a distant cousin of that effete fool Haidar you know
you will make a better job of rulerof
Akharsi Province than he does.He puts
it about that you work for the CIA. This is rubbish just because you know a man
at the Embassy inAl – Kahol who gets
you Hershey bars and Tommy Hilfiger shirts ...and just because you are friendly
with him and talk to him ....

IZAL are comingthey are not to be trusted- unless you can cut a deal- your distant
cousin Farrouq Kemal is Govenor of Firket he has contacts with thembut can you trust him ?

Your troops

Tank Battalion
with

Trained Morale 7

Battalion HQ company

1 Command T-72

1 T-72

1BDRMSA-9

2 Tank Companies each with

1Command T-72

2 T-72

The 3rd
company of the battalion is at present under command of Haidar Khan – once you
arrive at Akharsibad you can take back control of this unit.

You would like Haidars Job- if he were to fall in the
coming battlewith IZAL then all will be
wellbut if IZAL look like winning .....

-The American spelling of defence is of course deliberate ....

Earkly in the game- British WMIKS with Apache overwatch move North through "friendly" Harraqui T-72s

Colonel Farruq
Kemal

Commander Firket
District and Border Crossing.

Currently you are making a fortune taking Bribesfrom sundry fellows wha want to have no
trouble with customs at the Border.

You wish this happy state of affairs to continue.

However there is a
problem

Your distant
cousin Mustapha Narsul is just over the border with a force of IZAL fighters
who would love to wipe you up. You have therefore “promised” that you will take
your forces over to “The cause of God”once IZAL nears the town .

Your command
consists of

Infantry Battalion 19th Reserve Infantry
Division

Trained Morale 7.

Bttn HQ with

1 infantry Command Stand

Weapons Company with

1 81mm Mortar stand.

1 weapons stand.

2 infantry Companies each with

2 infantry stands.

These troops may occupy any of the trenches and bunkers
on the table outside the town of Al-Kahol.

FirketGarrison

Trained Morale 7

1 command Stand

1 Radio Car.

AA platoon with

1 BRDM SA-9

Garrison Infantry company with

2 Infantry stands

Garrison Weapons company with

1 weapons stand

1 HMGstand

ATGW company with

3 BDRMAT

Your primary concern- indeed ONLY concern is to keep your
job as you have 2 wives and a Swiss Bank
account to worry about. You don’t care who rules Harraq as long as you are
making a shekel or 6 .

You win if you are
still in control of Firket and the Bridge and border crossing.

IXAL forces backe by "rebel" Harraqui boder troops these are the positions they would hold more or less throughout the game.

Mustapha Narsul

Commander 72 Virgins Martyrs Brigade

IZAl Forces.

God is Great . The Time has come!

You have received
sufficient Reinforcements to attack the Infidels and destroy them . You already
have small forces in the area of Akharsibad- which will be your new Capital and
the garrison Commander of Firket one Farruq Kemal a distant cousin has promised
to bring his forces over to you . You have managed- without his knowledge to
infiltrate a small force into Firket but you will need Kemals troopsfor the next Stage- this does not mean that
you need Kemal. Though his troops seems to be Loyal to him so care may be
needed.

You must secure
the Bridge over the Little Sewah river so that your invasion can succeed it is
likely to be guarded by the troops of Colonel Kemal.

Your Troops.

With you on the
Northern Border.

Commandelement

1 Command Infantry
Stand

1 car.

Motor cycle Recon group with

3 ReconMotor Cycle stands

1 Reconmotor
cycle weapons stand

Veteran Morale 8

All self – ordering

Fist of Islam Tank company

Trained Morale 7

1 command T-55

3x T-55

Hammer of God
Artillery Company

Trained Morale 7

1command stand

1 107mm RCL

1 107mm MLR

1 Light truck with SNEB rocket pod.

1 truck

1 HMG stand

1 HAAMGstand.

Islam’s Scorpions

Mechanised assault Group

1 Command HMG
truck

1 HMG truck

1 HAAMG truck

Foriegn Jihadis

Green Morale 9
(daft sods)

1 Inf Command Stands

5 Infantry stands

Note 2 fig stands
2nd hit destroys

In Firket.

Veteran Morale 8

2 recon Infantry
Stands(SO)

In the Marsheson
the banks of the Great Sewah River

Tribal Militia

Green Morale 7

1 command Infantry
Stand

2 weapons stands

2 Infantry Stands

4 81 mm Mortar stands

(ROF1)

The more territory
you hold by game end the Greater your Victory. The more of the enemies troops
to come over to you the greater your Victory.

All units increase
Morale by 1 point when you are attached to that unit (in case you shoot them)

Rules note- SO = self ordering . These small units are quck to react to new events BUT have little staying power.

Harraqui Troops in the town of FIRKET on the border with Rh'agheidistan. These troops simply stayed where they were s town Garriosn .

United Nations
Force for Active Response to Terrorism.

Lt- Col Myles Overlaap DSO

69 Cdo Royal Marines .

It seems likely
that IZAl (Islamist Zealots Alliance) will attempt a coup in Harraq. Your task
is to bolster the Loyal Harraqui forces and see that they do not crumble against
what has so far proven to be a vicious and cunning enemy force.

You should secure
the town of Akharsibad andco-operatewith the commander
of3rd HarraquiArmoured Infantry Battalion, Col. Haidar Ifa
Khan who has so far proven Loyal to the New Regieme.

On the way to
Akharsibadare the rest of the 6th
Tank Battalionunder Colonel Gurdana
Khan- who may or may not be working for the CIA .

Own Troops.

Elite Morale 10

HQ 69 Cdo Royal Marines Battle Group

1Command stand

1Landrover.

1 BV10 Viking TOC .

Support coy with

1Command Infantry stand

2 Recon sniper stands (SO)

2 81mm Mortar stands

2 Milan Stands.

1 GPMG stand

1Quad Bike and Trailer

1 Pinzgauer truck

1 landrover

2 companies each with

1 command Infantry
stand

2 infantry stands.

Any stand from the Support company

may be attached to either of the infantry companies

Manovre Support group.

1 command WMIK

2 WMIK

You should mount a recon to the Firket Bridge and town of
Firket as the Garrison there seems to be in a shaky conditionwith the threat of Invasion from IZAL forces
from the T’Urdistan province of Rh’agheidistan but you MAY NOT commence Combat operations unless
fired upon .

U.N.F.A.R.T.Rules of Engagement do not allow for the
commencement of Hostilities by UN forces but of course troop may defend
themselves.

More troop in the shape of 1 armoured Infantry company –
2QM and HQ and 1 sabre Sqn 1PROHH are en route but may not arrive in time .

Force build up - Akharsibad at the top of the picture. Despite the British presence the Harraqui defense force were unwilling to actually figt IZAL.

It is most important that any territory lost to IZAL
should be recovered by Harraqi forces rather than the UN.Your primary task is
Intelligence and Support.

You also have on
call

1 AH64 Apache

And a Chinook

The Chinook can carry up to 3 stands of troops

but care must be
used IZAL have a lot of light AA/ HMG and possibly Stinger Missiles. If a helicopter
is shot down- you lose- Career over
Bowler hat ..... no mention in the Birthday Honours ...

The UN(British force) are in normal gaming terms hamstrung by thier Rules of Engagement. They simply may not fire first.Despite that they are by far the strongest single force

As you can see from the Briefings it was quite possible for players from different sides to both win at once .....

As Umpires Andrew and I cecided to introduce a "Negotiation phase" between moves where no actual combat had taken place .No negotiations could take place without the presence of an Umpire. With better communications and Intelligence assets the British would recieve a distilled version of any negotiations where they themselves were not present from the Umpires - some of this may even be the truth .

Very quickly the game developed into a cross between a game of Diplomacy and Carry on up the Khyber

Farruq- Tom retired to his hardernd communications bunker and stayed there once the Initial negotiations with Mustapha- Jeff had taken place- Money Changed Hands- Farrouq's Swiss accounts swelled.

IZAL advsance their forces to the hill line across the centre of the table on its east -West axis accompanies by Tom's BDRM AT company and some other heavy weapons. And there they stayed.
However fighting was opened by Jeff Tribal Militia in the Green Zone - running most of the Eastern leangth of the table . A flurry of ill- aimed 81 mm Mortar bombs landed amognst the British forces.
Cries of "FOOK ME"
were heard from the lads but no serious damage was done thanks to osprey body armour ( in game terms first hits on any stand so equipped are ignored for casualty purposes )
Next turn the Militia mortarmen bwegan to bug out but CYMBELINE morat radar caught them and return fire destroyed 2 of their 4 tubes .(wa it significant that Darren was ex- Royal Artillery and knew how to work CYMBELINE???)
Izal also tried to rocket the road ad Haidar moved out of Akharsi but to no avail- it was spweculative indirect fire so needed 1 on a D10 to cause a hit and it didn't even with a 12 tube launcher.
Then it all went quiet .
Rogues began a- plotting .
The British force called in an Apache on overwatch . For reasons best known to themselves Farruq Kemamal's BDRM SA-9 hten opened fire on it and missed. Permission was sought to return fire and a single Hellfire was launched - Exit 1 BDRM in a pall of oily smoke
Then it went quiet again ....
More plotting
It was soon apparent that the 3 out of 4 Arab players were up for having a go at the British but frankly didn't have the bottle- nor did they trust each other enough to start a war in the certainty of getting the rest to join in
Gurdana Khan(Shaun) was a bit more circumspect as his tanks advanced towards the hill line he came under fire from the T-55's and BDRM AT to which he replied Range was longish . Neither side scored any hits.
Meanwhile Haidar Khan (Dave) was trying to get the British to open fire on the IZAL but since IZAL had not fired at them it wasn't going to happen.
Yet more plotting - the "Confernce of Arab Brotherhood " !!
It did seem that there was a considered opinion amongst the Arab players that the British should be given a kicking- though each of the "Brotherhood" thought someone else should actually start the ball rolling !
Nevertheless Tom and Jeff thought they'd have a little bash so they decided to Rocket the town of Akharsibad and launch ATGW at the slowly moving British Challengers- who had just arrived on the table .
As British Infantry moved to occupy the govenors palce in Akharsibad 107mm rockets exploded about them . Ospey however proved it worth again causing no more than minor wounds and cries of FOOK!
Equally ATGW streaked from the treeline to scratch the paint of a couple of Challengers- exit another BRDM in a pall of slightly less oily smoke as a 120mm tank round found it mark .
Meanwhile the Tribal Militia had been active and a sudden burst of AK and RPG fire erupted from the Tree line near the British transport park British 50 cals on WMIKS replied and later blood trails were seem but no bodies recoverd .
No-one at this time was anxious to investigate the Green Zone.

Nevertheless as night closed in IZAL had not been dislodged from their positions and so really were the victors on the day- though only marginally . Akharsibad would need a new Govenor and the British were deeply perplexed at the inability of the Arabs to sort out their own problems. Just another day in Harraq methinks .....

As always the Hot Beef Butties and the Ale were excellent and a fine time was had by all- Next months game may be Naval with Floating Jeff in the chair ... possibly ...

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About Me

I've been in the Wargaming/ Military Modelling/ Military History hobby since about 1970 . In that time I've had a go at most aspects including Re-enactemnt and Blackpowder shooting. Aside from the hobby I like "Old Masters" painting Victirian Genre painting and Englis Watercolurs . Irish and Scottish Whiskies, Fine dining and real Ale.
I also collect Antiquarian Books. mostly but not all Military.